WHARTON COUNTY HISTORICAL

F. Gray Franks

1864 - 1867

Wharton County Sheriff




F. Gray Franks served two terms as sheriff of Wharton County.. He was elected on August 1, 1864; and appointed September 25, 1865 bu Governor A.J. Hamilton; elected June 25th 1866 and served until November 1, 1867 when he was removed by General J.J. Reynolds' Special Order #195 at which time J.B. Capell was appointed sheriff. From September 1865 until December 1869, the sheriffs office was being appointed the seat instead of elected.

On April 18, 1873 F. Gray Franks, Wm. J. Godsey, Peter Hyman and William Massey were caught and charged with gaming in Criminal case # 532, I looked it up in the Criminal books and I couldn't find where it went to court.

In case # 494 of the Criminal Court of Wharton County Gray Franks is charged with murder on Dec 11, 1872...he was acquitted.

Case # 587 of the Criminal Court of Wharton County, Gray Franks is charged with unlawfully carrying a pistol on December 8th 1873.

On Dec 4th, 1873 there was a law suit brought by I.N. Baughman against Gray Franks in which he had not paid an account. Franks says he shouldn't have to pay a bill that is owed by the State of Texas that was incurred while he was sheriff. It ended up that money was paid as Taxes and were not sent to Austin.

In case #581 of the Criminal Court of Wharton County Gray Franks is charged with aggravated assault and battery on December 8, 1873 Gray Franks shot I.N. Baughman while the lawsuit was going on.

F.G. Franks vs. I.N. Baughman

Amended Petition

Filed Dec 4, 1873

RIGHT CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE

Defendants Answer Dec 4, 1873

Answers to direct and Cross Interrogations, Dec 8, 1873

Exibit "A" Ledger

Motion for a New Trial, Dec 12, 1873

No. 892

From W.F.S. Alexander Journal 1872 - 1875, he made an entry:

June '74

Fri 12 Bevens and Cris drove Smoky and Richmond to Wharton to get latter shod, But Tom Gorden, the smith was sick so he was not shod. Heard that Lee Lacy shot and killed Gray Franks in Wharton yesterday. A good rain at noon. Gave Bevens $1.00 Took a dose of medicine, had fever.

Lee Lacy was I.N. Baughmans deputy when he served as sheriff. He and a man named Sim Cooper are charged with murder August 8, 1874

No 892 Erwin Thomas et el vs. F.G. Franks

No. 914 C.R. Johns vs. F.G. Franks

There is a case No. 859 of F.G. Franks vs. Jackson Rust et el but the ink is so faded on the paper that it is not readable. Jackson Rust must have been executor of F.Gray Franks estate.



This page researched and written by Janet Barrett Hobizal in June 2007,

From records found at the Wharton County Historical Museum


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